Flush tank ball guide



July 26, 1955 L. BILL ET AL 2,713,687

FLUSH TANK BALL GUIDE Filed June 29, 1953 Fig.

Curl/s L. Bill Michael J. Doug/ran INVEN TOR.

United States Patent FLUSH TANK BALL GUIDE Curtis L. Bill and Michael J. Daugherty, Alliance, Nebr.

Application June 29, 1953, Serial No. 364,832

1 Claim. (Cl. 4--57) This invention relates generally to improvements in ball flush valves, and pertains more particularly to an improved guide means therefor.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an improved ball guide assembly for flush tanks wherein means are provided for properly centering the ball with relation to the outlet line of the flush tank, so that the ball will be seated properly therein.

A further object of this invention is to constrain movement of a ball valve within a flush tank to a definite seating position therein so that the most effective seat between the ball and the associated outlet line will be effected.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conventional flush tank with portions thereof broken away to show the invention in proper position therein;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a portion of an overflow pipe and outlet line showing the invention operatively connected thereto, the view being on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the plane of section line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the sliding block assembly.

Referirng now more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral indicates generally a conventional flush tank assembly which is provided with a cover por tion 12, a manually operated flush handle 14, an overflow pipe 16, an outlet pipe 18 and a valve seat 20 on the upper end of the outlet pipe, all as is conventional and well known.

As is also Well known, the flush tank is also provided with a ball 22 which engages within the seat 20 and is manually movable therefrom through the medium of the valve handle 14. The ball is provided with a stem or plunger member 24 which extends vertically upwardly therefrom in the manner shown, this stern being guided conventionally upon a suitable support secured to the overflow pipe 16 for vertical motion relative thereto.

The invention consists of the guide assembly indicated generally by the reference character 26 which includes the first clamp member 28 and the second clamp member 30. Each clamp member is provided with an intermediate portion which is to be positioned in juxtaposed relation as shown most clearly in Figure 3 and secured together by means of the fastening element 32, and each member also includes an arcuated end portion 34 and 36 which terminate in the radially offset ears 38 and 40 through which the fastening element 42 extends for completing the clamping engagement of this portion of the members "ice upon the overflow pipe 16. The opposite ends of the members are arcuately offset in the manner shown to present the leg portions 44 and 46 which are provided at their free end with the vertically extending guide members 48 and 50. Each guide member is provided with a vertically elongated slot or opening 52 and it will be noted that the inner or opposed faces of these guide members are disposed in parallel relation.

Suitably secured to the upper end of the ball stem 24 is the sliding block assembly indicated generally by the reference character 54, as most clearly seen in Figure 4, and which is provided with a bore 56 through which the stem 24 extends in the manner shown. The block may be of rectangular configuration as shown, and includes end faces 58 which engage the opposed inner surfaces of the guide members 48 and 50. The ear portions 60 and 62 extend outwardly from opposite ends of the sliding block, these ears being centered with relation to the end faces 58 thereof, and these ears are adapted to project through the elongated slots 52 in the guide members in the manner shown with one of the ears 60 being longer than the other and provided adjacent its upper corner with an aperture 64 to which one end of the pull chain 66 is attached for raising the ball 22 from its associated seat in a manner well understood in the art.

By virtue of the engagement of the end faces 58 snugly between the inner surfaces of the guide members 4-8 and 50, and by virtue of the fact that the thickness of the ears 60 and 62 corresponds to the width of the slot 52, the ball will at all times be properly centered with relation to its seat.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occu to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the ap pended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

In a flush tank having an outlet opening, an overflow pipe and a ball valve including a stern, said ball valve being movable into and out of seating relation to said outlet opening, a guide secured to said overflow pipe, and means on said stem received in said guide for maintaining said ball in centered relation to the outlet opening, said guide including a pair of spaced vertical guide members having opposed parallel surfaces and elongated vertical slots, said means comprising a block disposed between said guide members and having parallel end faces engaging said opposed parallel faces of the guide members, said block also having vertically elongated ear portions projecting from said end faces through the slots and beyond the guide members, said ear portions being of a thickness corresponding to the width of said slots, one of said ear portions having an aperture therein for connecting a lift chain thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,164,996 Long July 4, 1939 2,450,609 Phelps Oct. 5, 1948 2,524,897 Driskill Oct. 10, 1950 2,546,766 McWilliams Mar. 27, 1951 2,644,952 Boyd July 14, 1953 

